Jayson Tatum captured his second Olympic gold medal after the United States triumphed over France in the finals, 98-87. However, the Boston Celtics superstar hardly had an impact in the tournament's finale, playing only 11 minutes and registering two points and three boards. Tatum's latest Olympic stint was, by and large, a forgettable one as he also sat out Team USA 's thrilling semifinal win over Serbia.
JT got two DNPs (did not play) in France due to head coach Steve Kerr's matchup decisions. The five-time All-Star recently shared his thoughts, calling the experience tough and humbling.
Tatum in the 2028 Olympics?
The former Duke Blue Devil has had a heck of a year so far. A few months ago, the forward won his first NBA title and earned a max deal with the Celtics that would pay him more than $300 million. He was also on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the latest edition of NBA 2K.
In addition, Jayson's gold medal win in France places him alongside hoop icons Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players to make the All-NBA First Team, win the title, and win a gold medal all in the same year.
However, Tatum's benchings in the tournament have brought him back to earth and have made him unsure of getting involved with Team USA for the next Olympic basketball tournament, which will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to make any decision off emotions," Tatum said . "If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028, it is four years from now, and I would have to take time and think about that. So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually."
Jayson finished the Paris Olympics averaging 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game.
Related: "You could just feel it, the lack of respect" - Alonzo Mourning on the tense environment in the gold medal game against France in the 2000 Olympics
Extra motivation
Coach Kerr knows how exceptional a player Tatum is, having faced off against him and the powerhouse Celtics numerous times, notably in the 2022 NBA Finals. However, with Serbia fielding a bigger lineup led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and with the U.S. squad leaning heavily on LeBron James and Kevin Durant—both of whom play the same position as Tatum—Kerr thought it was best to keep the 26-year-old on the bench.
Many fans and experts were outraged at Kerr's decision, telling the four-time All-NBA team member to use this slight as motivation for next season. But the 6-foot-8 forward implied he's not worried about needing extra motivation to play well. Instead, he's keen on learning from the entire experience.
"I've sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So, in the moment, it is tough. You're not necessarily worried about fueling me for November or whenever the season is, but like I said, it's something I'm going to take away from this and learn from this experience. It's definitely challenging and humbling at the same time," he added.
With two gold medals in his collection, Jayson still has plenty of time to consider his potential participation in the 2028 Olympics. The Celtics' title defense awaits, so he and fellow Team USA members Derrick White and Jrue Holiday must rest up before shifting their focus to the upcoming NBA season.
Related: "JT can't be one of them" - Paul George and Trae Young accept a need of sacrifice to play on Team USA while defending Jayson Tatum
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